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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25128964">In the caves somewhere</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noahbet/pseuds/Noahbet'>Noahbet</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dark (TV 2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Age Difference, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Post-Apocalypse, Sexual Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 10:01:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,090</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25128964</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noahbet/pseuds/Noahbet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hanno is obsessed with Elisabeth as she entering the age of puberty and sexual development.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elisabeth Doppler/Noah | Hanno Tauber</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>105</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi everybody! <br/>Hope you will like my vision and if you do, please leave comments to point out at what you liked and didn't like.<br/>Thank you for reading.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 1.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>POV Elisabeth</em>
</p><p>At first she was disoriented, horrified by the event, desperate for safety and reassurance that it's all gonna be okay. She didn’t know where to go, she had no one to go to. Her sister and mother were missing, her father's corpse still warm in that trailer where she couldn't stay any longer. She had only one option.</p><p>Ever since he entered the bunker right before the world outside collapsed, Elisabeth has been intrigued by this mysterious stranger boy. Winden was a small town and even though Elisabeth didn’t talk to many people outside of her school circle, she was sure that she never saw his face before. And yet the boy’s face was painfully familiar. Like a dream slipping through the fingers once you’re awake. She must have seen him before.</p><p>Peter, her father, wasn’t very pleased to have Hanno in there. He was too good of a human to not let him stay inside but as soon as the tornado passed and they dared to pick out, he coldly looked at the boy outside and told him something that Elisabeth didn’t pick up. She was new to bare lip reading though felt that it is something that she must learn now when the world so drastically changed.</p><p>Hanno didn’t answer, only shortly nodded and turned to leave, but before that he lingered, looking at Elizabeth for a long moment. She wasn’t sure why he would look at her like that and shivered, yet not from fear. Somehow she felt safe in his presence.</p><p>Later on she would ask dad several times who that boy was. Peter seemed irritated by these questions and answered abruptly that he had nothing to do with them. The world’s changed and they were ought to look after themselves.</p><p>Well, after his tragic murder Elisabet’s world shattered to pieces and she had to find a glue to bring those pieces together. While swallowing tears, she recalled that there was this boy, who appeared to live in the cave. She frantically looked for the piece of paper and there it stood indeed, written by his hand</p><p>
  <strong>CAVE</strong>
</p><p>It took her almost all day, as she got lost in the forest, walking as if in a dream, haze covering her head. The sky darkened when she saw a familiar gape of darkness.<br/>
The cave looked inhabited inside though Elisabeth couldn’t see much through her misty eyes. She sunk heavily on the floor and hugged her knees, waiting.</p><p>Hanno came when it was completely dark. She was shivering both of cold and fear, yet it was a huge relief to see him. He didn't say anything, but his eyes were speaking tons. He knew what she was going through. She needed some compassion and care and Hanno was there for her. He understood as if he knew what happened, even though she couldn’t say or write anything for a long time.</p><p>He brought her a bit of water and food, let her clean herself with a damp piece of cloth and put her to sleep on his place made out of old blankets and pillows. She was falling asleep, knowing that one chapter of her life had ended and the new one had just started.</p><p>
  <em>POV Hanno</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>6 years later</strong>
</p><p>Hanno woke up as if he had been pushed. The air in the cave was chilly and nothing was audible except his heavy panting and Elisabeth’s light breath. Must have been sunrise soon.</p><p>He sat in the bed and looked at her. She loved to cuddle beneath him before they were falling asleep. Light hair covered half of her face. He would have preferred to separate their sleeping places but to make it through the night was much easier when they were closer to each other. Nights in the cave were cold and somewhat frightening when you were all alone. Having some warm body besides you was a comfort.</p><p>And a nightmare for Hanno. He felt that things changed between them and he couldn’t yet make them straight in his head. Besides Jonas, Elisabeth was the only source of human interaction for him but it wasn’t that simple anymore.</p><p>He got up and stretched, yawning. Then frowned, looking at her. She clung tightly to his arm this night causing his insomnia for half a night. And she slept as peacefully as an angel.</p><p>He went out and checked their water basin. It was rainy at night. They couldn’t use this water straight out of the source, not before it has been filtered. He filled the bottle and went to their filter, opening a lid and pouring water in.</p><p>Waiting for it to be cleansed, he made several exercises just to be sure he woke up. Then he went to check their hunting trap - no luck today, and went back into the cave.</p><p>Elisabeth continued to sleep all the time while Hanno was making a fire and putting their tiny rusty kettle over it. He sat beside fire and looked at her again, this time with longing.</p><p>He was never sure what exactly his mission was. “Protect her at all costs”, that was pretty much everything he had gotten from Noah. Protecting from the post apocalyptic reality, protecting from dehumanised people, protecting from wild animals and insects, from starvation and diseases, from cold and radiation - he did succeed in that. Why on Earth Noah had never mentioned that Elisabeth was just as much in danger with him, too.</p><p>Six years flew by and the frightened light haired girl that came to the cave, grew into the tall, witty and insufferably beautiful girl. Last two years were tense and it only grew more with each day that passed.</p><p>Hanno was perfectly aware of what it was about. He reached his pubertal period early on back in the 1910s, however the dogmatic life by Noah’s and Adam’s side made him cool a bit. He wasn't a reckless teenager back then, neither was he an irresponsible adult now. Hanno wasn’t a virgin, he had time to try sex before he left but after that he lived his life as ascetically as possible. His only objective was to take care of this girl.</p><p>Now the girl has hit puberty herself in the most furious manner and Hanno wasn’t sure any longer that he can stay as cool as he was their first four years together. Elisabeth got her first period when she was 12 but she was still pretty much a child. Last years though it was stupid to deny that she changed a lot, both mentally and physically.</p><p>Elisabeth turned on the side and opened her eyes, making Hanno startle a bit. He tried to shake his thoughts off.</p><p>She stretched on the bed just like a cat, her naked hip got visible. Hanno averted his eyes. Kicking off the blanket, she jumped to her feet. She had nothing but a tanktop and shorts on her.</p><p>Hanno grumpily stared into the fire, not noticing that the kettle is now overboiling with water. His peripheral vision spotted her extremely naked long legs by his side and in the next moment Elisabeth lightly took kettle off of fire. She patted him on the shoulder.</p><p>- Are you okay? - she signed with a smirk.</p><p>He made himself look at her. Elisabeth looked pleased with herself.</p><p>- Morning, - he replied with fingers. - I’m fine. Just thinking. Do you wanna tea?</p><p>Elisabeth nodded and turned to make her bed neat. Hanno had to stare somewhere else again.<br/>
He felt annoyed by that - Elisabeth often walked barely dressed in the cave. Apparently it wasn’t cold for her, she was enjoying the coolness of air and, as he suspected, wanted to tease him.</p><p>She sat across him and crossed her legs. Her face was sleepy and smiley.</p><p>- Bad night again? - gesticulated she.</p><p>Hanno couldn't stay silent this time. His gestures were more snappy this time.</p><p>- Why do you need to sleep almost naked? - angrily signed Hanno for her, releasing his irritation. - What if you catch a cold? The situation outside is unstable.<br/>
Elisabeth looked at him long, then raised one eyebrow.</p><p>- I won’t catch a cold, - she answered with her hands, signing slowly, as if he was a small child. - But I see that it makes you tense. What’s the matter?</p><p>Hanno blinked and quickly looked at her legs.</p><p>- I'm not tense, - mumbled he and hesitated in his movements. - But I'm worried.</p><p>Elisabeth looked at him with indecipherable expression and made herself busy with the kettle and tea cups. Awkward silence hung in the air.</p><p>Hanno received a cup of herbal tea from her hands, touching her fingers for a second and pulling them back as fast as it was possible. Elisabeth sighed. She took a gulp and asked, making wide waves with her hands:</p><p>- Are you afraid that I’m gonna be hurt by somebody? - and not waiting for his answer, continued. - By Jonas?</p><p>Hanno didn’t answer but remembered suddenly a pang of jealousy that he felt one day when he walked on to Elisabeth and Jonas sitting by the fire and talking to each other. Jonas knew a decent amount of sign language enough to have a basic conversation with Elisabeth. So they didn’t really need a translator, while Hanno used to be her translator in those rare encounters with other people.</p><p>- Him too, - growled Hanno, angrily waving. - Do you think it’s easy to be a man in this godforsaken wasteland? Don’t you remember what happened to you in this trailer? And you were just a little girl. Now look at yourself...</p><p> </p><p>He stopped, fearing that he crossed a line. Elisabeth remained calm, even though it took her years to come over her first kill.</p><p>- You want to protect me, - mouthed she, shaking fingers by her face. - I appreciate that. But here, with you there is nothing to be afraid of.<br/>
Hanno sighed and took a sip. He was ashamed to speak upfront about it with her, especially when he had several wet dreams last month. He looked at her again.</p><p>- You don't know men, - slowly signed he, desperate for finding the right words. - I might be your protector, but I am only human too. It’s been a long time since I was with a woman. And... (his fingers hesitated for a bit and then pointed at her, followed by a brisk movement) you are beautiful.</p><p>That’s it. It happened, he said these words. He covered his face in the hands and then ran fingers through his grown hair, not looking at her. Then he felt that Elisabeth sat by his side.</p><p>Her fingers lightly touched his face, removing bangs from his eyes. He turned his face a bit, facing hers. She smiled shyly.</p><p>- I know, Hanno, - she showed shortly, looking at him with a huge tenderness. - I see you avoiding looking at me. I know what’s happening, I am not a little girl anymore. And you have these dreams at night...</p><p>His face reddened instantly. Did she notice that too?..</p><p>- Elisabeth, I'm sorry that I feel this way, - said Hanno, trying to defend himself. - I ought to protect you, not secretly want you. I wish Noah would have told me more…</p><p>Elisabeth bit her lip and moved closer, leaning herself to his shoulder. Hanno sensed her aroma, she smelled like wild grass, warm blanket and a bit of strawberry. He inhaled it and clenched his teeth in desperation. But she wasn't a struggling one and had no problems with touching him. She hugged him around the neck while leaning on to his shoulder.</p><p>It was hard for Hanno but he hugged her back, putting one hand over her back. They barely hugged in the last months. The smell of hers was intimidatingly seductive and whenever they hugged he felt her heavy round breasts under a T-shirt. This time wasn’t different, he felt her body pressed against his right away and it made his imagination go wild. He buried his face in her silky hair and thought, drunk on her smell - if only she’d been his age, he would have pushed her on this bed behind them and dominate over her. Make her his own for real. Make these long legs hug his back and these breasts be unprotected from his greedy hands and lips.</p><p>Elisabeth pulled away and looked into his face. Her eyes had somewhat unusual expression, the one he hasn’t yet seen.</p><p>- I want it, - she signed, languishing looking at him. - You’re saying you haven’t been with a woman for long. Let me be this woman. I never was with a man. And I want this to be with you.</p><p>Hanno’s throat went dry. He barely could think. His eyes were clothed with lust and when he opened his mouth his voice became hoarse:</p><p>- Do you hear what you’re saying?</p><p> </p><p>Elisabeth nodded. And Hanno suddenly woke up from her enchantment. His face showed all the range of emotions he experienced at that moment. He jumped to his feet.</p><p>- I’ll go for a hunt, - he signed as fast as if his life depended on it. - We didn’t catch anything at night.<br/>
Hanno… - started Elisabeth, but it was too late, he already turned away.</p><p>Without saying anything further he walked out leaving frustrated Elisabeth alone.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jonas talking some sense into Hanno.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>POV Elisabeth</em>.</p><p>Elisabeth saw through this boy as if he was transparent. Her boy, she thought. She knew what was going on in his head.</p><p>Hanno was determined to protect her at all costs. It showed and he has been everything to her. First years he was a friend and an older brother she never had. It was a different dynamic in the sibling relationships for Elisabeth. She used to be sneaky and cunning with Franziska, taking her things and turning scenario Elisabeth’s way, manipulating their parents into believing that she was just a clueless 9-year old schoolgirl. When caught by Franziska she was immediately punished.</p><p>With Hanno it was different. She was just as clever with him, manipulating and making things turn her way, but most of the time he didn’t mind at all. Was it an endless naivety or an enormous amount of patience she couldn’t tell for sure. Only with him could she make her little tricks and not get caught. He may be hunting out there in the woods day after day but she was a real huntress in their relationships. As the years passed their roles changed too. He might have still thought of her as of a little sister, just out of habit, but Elisabeth wasn’t. As she started to feel that her femininity was growing stronger with each day that came, Hanno was simultaneously becoming more wary of her.</p><p>From the brother figure and her best friend he started slowly turning into an object of her secret desires. She loved to sneak a glimpse at him while he was sitting by the fire and carving a wooden knife. His long, calloused fingers moved confidently and with just enough push to make wood bend his way. Such clean movements, they made her crave for something she never knew existed. His face was as concentrated as when he was shaving his newly grown beard and he was impossibly magnetic with that semi clean jawline, suddenly so smooth and sharp as if it could cut.</p><p>Elisabeth loved her little game of provocations. The boy that protected her, became a young man while she blossomed into an early developed teen. Her breasts started growing when she was 12 and by today they were the breasts of a young woman. Yet she pretended to be a child when she needed that, just to confuse him even more. She would be jolly and jumping as a little girl if he showed her something she liked and then hug him all of a sudden, hanging on his neck and making sure he feels how her body has changed. It was amusing and infuriating that as soon as he discovered that they stopped hugging for a long time.</p><p>Elisabeth would often sit by the fire after she bathed in a cave source, and she would ask him to comb her hair. She knew that he loved that and as he carefully threaded the spun gold of her hair, she nearly purred of pleasure. His usually stone face would soften a lot after this ritual of theirs.</p><p>Elisabeth knew when Hanno looked at her furtively. She would lay on a grass by the lake, where Hanno was fishing, and read a book while knowing instinctively that he looked at her from time to time. She was aware that her shirt pulled up a bit or a hip bared for a second, but nevertheless would make it look like she noticed nothing and laughed inside at Hanno’s face. Elisabeth would steal a look or two at him herself, caressingly observing his stubborn jawline and high cheekbones with an eagerness that sometimes scared her. At times he felt that too and their eyes would meet for a long second, full of a mutual desire. He would avert his eyes though and behave later as politely and distantly as possible.</p><p>Last year was truly a challenge for Elisabeth. Her hormones kicked in hard, she had a lot of mood swings during a day and even though she didn’t throw tantrums, she was totally capable of finding a way to behave erratically. Refusal to be fully dressed at night was one of her stubborn wishes. She also pretended that she was frightened to sleep alone - to be honest, she didn’t want to sleep alone, they always slept close to each other, since the moment she moved to the cave. But around her 14th birthday Hanno was trying to move away from her and she didn’t like it. Elisabeth had to have a few nightly hysterics convincing the boy that she has nightmares and Hanno was forced to move back to her.</p><p>A month ago she woke up in the dead of the night as if she knew that something was going on. Turning her head to see Hanno, she found him being restlessly asleep. He tossed from side to side, turning his head to her and away from her while seemingly saying something. Elisabeth needed just a moment to read her own name on his lips. Elisabeth raised herself on her elbow, watching him eagerly, savouring his helpless aching face and chaotic movements. It was such an intimate moment of his that she felt like a thief. He rushed around the bed, whispering her name. Almost suffocating from tenderness, she took his restless hand and kissed it. He lay still for a moment, then his hand slipped out of her fingers and fell on her bare hip. She couldn’t breath at this moment. Once Hanno found the girl in his sleep, he strongly pulled her into a tight embrace, breathing hard in her neck. Elisabeth wasn’t afraid of him and she knew he doesn’t understand what he is doing, so she let him sleep this way even though she couldn’t.</p><p>The other night when Hanno had one of these dreams and she was awakened again, Elisabeth went further. She pulled his long hand and put it on her waist, moving closer to him, while touching hair by his face. It was a precious moment of their accidental closeness and she didn’t want to trade it for his conscious coldness towards her in the daylight. She touched his chest, making her hands become familiar with the shape of his body and burrowed herself in his neck. He was always fully clothed in bed but she could feel the heat from his body, the smell of wood and fire from his hair and she felt insatiably hungry for him, for her boy.</p><p>Now, when they almost crossed the line in the face of a new day, Elisabeth could not pretend any longer that she doesn’t dream about him too. They needed to overcome his monk mentality and asceticism, his fear of opening up and accepting his desires; to make him clearly see her for who she was - a young woman, loving and needed to be loved by him.</p><p>They only needed a small push.</p><p>
  <em> POV Hanno.</em>
</p><p>She has been too cruel, this girl from the future. Hanno saw through most of her actions and yet couldn’t bring himself to be strict. From where he came kids were often treated with caning and he wasn't an exception, it only made him more stubborn and hard as he grew up. Elisabeth has been cunning indeed and would have gotten a decent share of canes back in the 20s, but she was also pure and delicate and he didn’t want to punish her for her frivolous and rebellious nature. Well, perhaps in one way rather than in other…</p><p>Hanno walked through the trees, looking sternly in front of himself, holding a rifle up his shoulder. He couldn’t concentrate on hunting though, not after seeing Elisabeth’s sweet face saying these words this morning. Last night he saw her again in a dream, almost unrecognisable in her lust. Rascalous girl continued haunting him at night.</p><p>So she wanted him and this both excited and terrified him at the same time. He was naturally excited to explore this new territory in their relationships and to think what kind of things they could do together... Hanno swallowed with a force. He shouldn't think about it here, in the open, where he must stay alert and concentrated. And yet he was scared. Scared to let go of the girl he almost raised on his own; scared to admit that they reached some level where all these years would be less significant than what lay in front of them; scared taking this huge responsibility for her fate claiming her body and soul and either blessing her or dooming with that. There was no way back, Hanno felt, for them both out of this relationship.</p><p>He didn’t notice how feet brought him to the old Kahnwald’s house. Jonas kept sleeping here even though it looked almost as uninviting as the caves. Once old pink colored walls were completely black from pollution and constant rain. Some windows were boarded and instead of the door there was a huge chunk of tarpaulin, heavily hanging from the second floor and covering third of the house.</p><p>Hanno approached the house entrance and moved the tarp aside letting himself in a house. He found Jonas sitting in his old bedroom, with criss crossed legs on the floor, looking at the photos scattered all over the place.</p><p>- Hi, called him Hanno and leaned his rifle against the wall.</p><p>Jonas greeted him, being pensive and seemingly in his own world. Hanno knew some faces in these photographs. Jonas had been taking them out quite often and he had time to learn about these people. Martha, Franziska, Bartosz, Magnus… not Elisabeth though. Hanno and Jonas were of the same age and their teen years happened at the time Elisabeth was in elementary school. They sat silently for a while, then Jonas sort of woke up, startled and looking at Hanno with a dash of surprise.</p><p>- Where’s Elisabeth? - he asked, gathering old photographs into one stack.</p><p>Hanno shrugged his shoulders.</p><p>- She’s old enough to stay alone from time to time.</p><p>- Uhumm, - mumbled Jonas, peeking at Hanno. - Don’t tell me you were quarrelling again.</p><p>Hanno sighed. He didn’t like that their problems were visible to the outer world and even when there weren’t tons of people to observe them, it still was an uncomfortable thought. Was it all written upon his face?</p><p>- We didn't, - he snapped. And regretted immediately, because Jonas cared. - Well, maybe a little. Honestly, i don't know how it happens. To have a girl in your household, especially the one that bleeds once a month, is a horrendous experience.</p><p>Jonas looked at him sadly.</p><p>- You know what I'm gonna tell you, my friend, - he muttered grumpily, while packing photographs into the old cracked drawer. - You’re an asshole. Living with a girl that had been promised and destined to you and goes nowhere for the rest of your life is a luxury. Look at me. I'm a joke. My girlfriend’s dead. I'm stuck here. Not to mention that I won’t have somebody as significant to me as Elisabeth to you.</p><p>Blood ran out of Hanno’s face. He felt bitter taste in the mouth, a taste of compassion and unshed tears.</p><p>- Jonas… sorry, - shortly said Hanno. - You know I didn’t mean to hurt you by saying this. Dang, it feels like I cannot say anything today without ruining somebody’s day!</p><p>Jonas sat on the edge of his old bed and looked at Hanno with understanding.</p><p>- It’s okay. You’re stressed, that’s it, - he patted a place by his side and Hanno took an invitation, falling onto his bed. - Now will you tell me in a most humane way possible what happened between you guys?</p><p>Hanno rubbed his eyes and stared into the darkened ceiling.</p><p> - She is… too much. I mean, is she now what… fifteen? - murmured he, trying to find the right words. - It feels like I am being cooked on a slow fire.</p><p>Jonas stared at his hands, then glanced at Hanno with a smirk.</p><p> - Any boy would understand you. Elisabeth doesn’t even look fifteen. She grew up so fast.</p><p> - She did indeed, - complained Hanno. - One day I made sure that she eats her portion of soup and tried to remember what games my sister loved to play and the other… poof! It all disappeared and I am left with this insufferable succubus which is now interested only in one game… And yet she doesn’t understand what it is she wants.</p><p> - She won’t, until she does, - said Jonas. - What’s the matter with you anyway? You don’t see her as a woman? Still in a brother mode?</p><p>Hanno sat in bed and leaned against a wall just like Jonas.</p><p>- No, that's definitely not a problem. On the opposite… I have a wild imagination. I'm scared because she is yesterday’s child and still a maiden… - he looked up to his friend desperately and agitatedly continued. - How was it with Martha? Have you both been first-timers?..</p><p>Jonas threw back his head and closed his eyes, cherishing his memories.</p><p> - I was. And Martha too. We weren’t afraid, neither she nor me. It was like in a dream… only true, - whispered he and opened his eyes, forcing himself to return back. - We were natural because I was over the moon that she likes me…</p><p>Hanno weakly smiled. He could relate and he felt this bittersweetness whenever they talked about Jonas’ dead love.</p><p> - From where I come girls start their sexual intercourses rather early. I lost my virginity to a stableman’s daughter. I wasn’t her first, instead she taught me how to.. - he hesitated, then shrugged. - You see, she was on the make. Elisabeth was born in the 21st century. I cannot treat her as a stableman’s girl.</p><p>Jonas chuckled.</p><p>- Hanno, you underestimate modern girls. While you were busy with the war issues, hard labour and lack of resources, these youngsters had nothing to do in their spare time as to watch Youtube videos in unhealthy proportions and gossip about someone’s boyfriend at school.</p><p>Hanno looked at Jonas suspiciously.</p><p>- You’re not playing me? Were they really like this? And my Elisabeth?</p><p>- Especially Elisabeth, - grunted Jonas. - I wasn’t there but I’ve heard from Magnus about Franziska’s little sister and the ways she goes to get what she wants. You’ve got an incredibly smart girl, Hanno.</p><p>- But she is innocent nonetheless, - frowned Hanno. - I don’t deny, she is a pain in the ass, as you people in this century love to say, but overall is a delicate and sensitive girl.</p><p> - No doubt, - agreed Jonas. - Otherwise she wouldn’t be your match. Only remember, Hanno, she is not as fragile as you think. And as we talk and she is sitting there alone, you assume that she is old enough to take care of herself while you’re away. Well, it works the other way too, she is grown enough for whatever decision she is up to make with you…</p><p>Hanno bit his lip. This bimbo was right. Elisabeth was capable enough to take care of herself now, including her own body.</p><p> - I see, I talked some sense into you, - satisfyingly noticed Jonas. - And as I assume, Elisabeth is on the make with you too or how do you say that in the 1920s…</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Elizabeth gets injury and lets Hanno take care of her.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Pov Elisabeth.</em>
</p><p>Elisabeth crawled on tiptoe along the tall grass, looking for a trap. Counting her steps, she tenaciously looked at the grass trying to find a right spot.</p><p>It was there, trembling and seemingly injured. A forest rabbit sat in a trap, looking at Elisabeth with glistening eyes. The girl triumphantly lifted a lid and, picking the rabbit by its back legs, pulled it out. She broke its neck in one smooth move which caused the rabbit's instantaneous death. Hanno taught her one of the most important hunting skills - how to kill animals humanely.</p><p>The rabbit hung motionless when she, reaching for the lid, suddenly lost her balance and her right leg slipped straight into the trap. Pain came instantly. For a moment world went black. She nearly screamed but not being used to actually use her voice, she only clenched her teeth, erratically grabbing dirt and grass in search of support. Elisabeth forced herself to stay still and concentrate on her pained breathing. After a long series of deep inhales-exhales she felt that her heartbeat returns to normal and the world around gets its colours back. Lying on a side, she very slowly pulled her foot out of the trap. She must have had sprained the ankle. No visible injuries which was good but the pain was immense. A huge weakness took hold of her body and she would not dare to move her leg now. She swore through her teeth. Damn her eternal clumsiness. What is she supposed to do now?</p><p>The obvious was that Hanno would panic when he won’t find her nearby cave. What sucked the most is that she could’t call him or hear him calling her. Losing a death girl in a post-apocalyptic wild forest was similar to losing a needle in a stack of hay. All Elisabeth could do now is to wait for him to eventually comb the forest and find her by one of their traps they set around the cave. She propped herself on her elbows, still clutching on the dead rabbit, and tried to change position. Could she crawl back? No way, this grass grew really tall as wilderness overtook forests of Winden. Elisabeth tried to sit and succeeded at that. Her head was slightly spinning from the sharp pain in her ankle. She closed her eyes and didn’t know how much time had passed… ...when she was suddenly shaken by her shoulder.</p><p>Elisabeth opened her eyes. She must have spaced out for.. How long? 10 minutes? 20?</p><p>It was Hanno, scary and scared at the same time. He was shaking her, visibly screaming something agitatedly. Elisabeth shook her head, shutting eyes again and showed with her free hand at the ankle. She couldn’t sign right now, the pain was so huge that if she wouldn’t be deaf already she would probably have deafen just because of that.</p><p>
  <span>Hanno looked at her foot, not daring to touch, and pulled himself together, starting signing which he skipped when he found her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> - I. Was. SO. WORRIED, - he articulated harshly, followed by abrupt movements of his hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Elisabeth nodded, feeling enormous guilt for causing him such stress. He was lucky to find her that early, before the darkness fell, it must have been around half an hour or so between her injury and Hanno finding her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    He took a deep breath and, seeing that she is in pain, softened and examined her ankle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> - You’ve sprained it, - worriedly stated he. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then he forcefully unclenched the rabbit from Elisabeth’s deadly fist, tied the rabbit by the legs to his massive backpack and measured the girl with an indecipherable look. Elisabeth looked up to him with wide eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> - I’m going to carry you back, - explained Hanno. - You shouldn’t move your foot, do you understand?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Elisabeth weakly nodded and in the next moment without any further preparation was suddenly yanked by Hanno’s hands up in the air. She gasped but immediately grabbed his shoulders. At once she felt his musky male scent blended with the odour of bonfire and dirt. He was heavily breathing from the long forest run and stress, but his face was returning back to its usual inscrutable state. He quickly glanced at Elisabeth, whose face was uncomfortably close to his and said without signing:</span>
</p><p>
  <span> - Hold on tight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He readjusted her position in the air, moving one hand more comfortably under her knees and pulling her closer with the other one on the back. She wrapped her hands around his neck and Hanno started to walk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gloomy dusk started to gather above their heads. This way smog was even more visible and Elisabeth could only guess how they’re gonna make it in such a haze. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But then...there was a face of Hanno, only inches from hers. He looked in front of them in a detached way, ignoring Elisabeth, trying to concentrate on a path beneath his feet, the one he couldn’t see. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Elisabeth couldn’t not look at him, this time not by stealth, but openly. From this perspective his eyelashes turned out to be long and light. She looked as enchanted at his stern face, watching a drop of sweat flow from his stained forehead. Hanno had this inimitable demeanour of</span>
</p><p>
  <span>a brutal self-confidence, which at times annoyed her and other times made her heart leap. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He was a fucking moralizator, when it was about sense of purpose, Paradise or Adam he was serving to. But underneath all this time-travelling-religious-philosophical dogmas was a bad boy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bad not for the sake of being bad, but by nature - dangerous, ferocious, untamed. She knew he was coming from the times of ruthless war, from the times when danger heavily hung in the air and was as natural as the air itself. Harsh times birthed Hanno, with harsh customs he was brought up and a harsh secret society shaped him as a person. One could read these milestones on his asymmetric, somewhat villainous face - in the hard bending eyebrows, in the high cheekbones, in a compressed lip line and a tense jaw. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The most speaking part of his face were his eyes with their ever-wild cold expression. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elisabeth wasn’t afraid of their stare as she knew that these eyes could be different and she saw him unguarded several times during their time together. Bad boy was he indeed, but nevertheless Elisabeth hoped that if you strip him off of his defence mechanisms and give him kindness and love he sought for, deep down there was a vulnerable young man. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She also liked his mole which was a birthmark. It gave his face this unique, instantly recognisable look. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Hanno walked cautiously yet tried to keep up a decent pace so they could reach caves before darkness. He looked at her with displeasure. He said something abruptly and she needed a moment to realise what he meant.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Why are you staring me down like this? </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span> Elisabeth understood but decided to not answer, only squeezed her hands around his neck tighter. Were circumstances less miserable, she would have enjoyed it thoroughly - being so intimately close to him, feeling his heartbeat, inhaling his rich taste, being so physically close to these stubbornly pressed lips. She couldn't tell if he felt something alike and whether this tension was just another self-defence mechanism or just weariness and physical and emotional tiredness. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- You’re silly girl, - muttered through teeth Hanno. They were closer to the cave now and Elisabeth realised that he will hold her like this for another five minutes or so. She thought she needed to explain herself.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span> - I wanted to cook a stew of this rabbit, - she signed, trying to show him fingers and not block his way. - But this stupid foot. God, I am so sorry.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Hanno glanced at her another time, sighed and parted his lips at last.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> - Elisabeth, I was deadly scared. It’s partly my mistake that I left you alone. I shouldn’t have to be so reckless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head briskly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> - No way. I’m 15 and can take care of my needs. It’s just a trap that spoiled everything.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They haven’t said anything else all the way to the caves. Elisabeth slid off of his hands on her bed with a visible discontent. The warmth of his hands left her as well as his scent. Although these thoughts evaporated as soon as she found herself in a sitting position with her legs clumsily spread across the blanket. The injured ankle started rhythmically ache and she wrinkled her nose in pain.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Lie down, - said Hanno, forcing her with his hands. - Don’t move. - He signed with a delay, when she was lying on the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Wait, I’ll help you, - and he left her lie and look at the cave ceiling.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Elisabeth lay and listened to what her cave-mate was doing. He seemingly looked for something, then found it, rushed out and returned almost immediately. He got her a damp cloth, ripped out of one of his spare shirts. Squatting next to Elisabeth’s feet, he carefully put a bandage on her. She wrinkled, but tried her best not to moan in pain. The dressing was nicely cold and even though her leg was throbbing under it, she felt that thanks to Hanno pain had been eased.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Hanno made a knot on her heel and examined it again. Then he looked at Elisabeth’s face and shook his head reproachfully. She slightly rolled her eyes at him but then she wanted to say thanks as well so she did sign that. Hanno signed back that it’s nothing and he hadn’t done much.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span> - You shouldn’t move much, do you understand?  - added he with a frown. </span>
</p><p>
  <span> - No, I am an imbecile and don’t get that at all, -  jokingly mocked him Elisabeth.  - Can I sit at least? No TV would appear on this ceiling, no matter how much I wish it would. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Hanno ran with the hand through his messy hair and rubbed eyes. He was tired. This girl won’t let him be in peace, not at all.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span> - Okay, - he replied and leaned over, putting his hands under her back and lightly pulling on. Elisabeth shivered, feeling goosebumps running through her because of his touch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span> - Where were you for so long? - she asked, while he helped her to sit, leaning against a pillow on the cave wall. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Hanno froze for a moment, then wearily lowered his eyes.</span>
</p><p><span> - Look… - he started insecurely. - I don’t know what happened this morning, but  I do apologize</span> for that. And for leaving you behind for a long time. I was with Jonas, of course, - he raised his eyes back to her.</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Elisabeth softened even though she could never stop teasing him. But she felt that he has had enough for today and decided not to push.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> - I’m sorry, too, - she gestured, softly looking at him. - I was so scared when it happened. And for the most part because of you. I imagined how you would panic when I wouldn’t be anywhere nearby...</span>
</p><p>
  <span> - It's sheer luck that I've decided to run to this trap first. We ‘ve got eight of them after all and I was scared that I won’t make it to you in time, - grunted Hanno, sullenly looking at the girl. He wasn’t ready to melt yet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Darkness fell outside and both were hungry so Hanno skinned the ill-fated rabbit and soon a cheerful bonfire flared up in a centre of their “room” and a stew was in the making - they weren’t living too close to the entry, due to safety and possibility of escape. In fact, they didn’t see the entry from here at all, their space was like a big niche in the wall with a dead end. The corridor that led to the depth of the caves was nearby but all their possessions were in a separate room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Elisabeth sat and read one of her few books, a precious gift from Hanno several years back when he was scavenging. In fact, she was rereading it again.  Most of the library books in Winden were ripped and destroyed or burned to this date and she really cherished those rare ones she and Hanno were sometimes finding. Hanno knew that she was a smart one in school and always hunted down those bricks of information, while didn’t like to read himself. She smiled, remembering how she dared to jokingly call him “himbo” and how he didn’t get it at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She raised her eyes from the book and sneakily glanced at Hanno. He took off of his old jacket and stayed in a simple, washed out T-shirt while doing some chores around their home base. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was a fine young man, athletically built, with a fully developed line of shoulders, flat tense stomach and strong hands. He was not very muscular, but neither was he skinny. Elisabeth admired that he looked exactly the way she always pictured an ideal man would look like. So fine was he. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Right now he was adding to their firewood supplies with an impressive pile in his hands. His hands roughened in the recent years of hard labour, hunting, washing in cold water and working on a  cave passage and yet you could see a careless boyishness in those long fingers. Many times since Elisabeth started secretly satisfy herself, she imagined these hands on her. The mere thought of it made her tremble.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stared at Hanno, at the beloved face of his, framed by his dirty strawberry blond colored hair. He cut them himself once a month and she could see how his side bangs were covering his eyes when he was bending over. This naughty hair and his proud profile were making Elisabeth crazy over him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly Hanno turned and quickly looked at her, as if he felt a burning look on his head. Their eyes met and Elisabeth averted hers first. Questions hung in the air and no answers were expected in the near future.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He changed her dressing, putting a dry piece of his shirt around her foot. His mood increasingly improved and he wasn’t as dry to her as before.They ate  rabbit stew in a silence, only exchanging short remarks. She felt that her eyes were closing and that this long hard day had been finally coming to its end.  Hanno briefly cleaned after them and renewed their bonfire with a handful of firewood. On the chilly nights like that they were leaving fire on, making their space less drafty. It wasn’t dangerous as the floor, ceiling and walls were made of stone and fire wouldn’t be able to threaten their lives. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Before crushing Elisabeth felt that she needed to pee and bashfully explained that to Hanno. He nodded, put a sweater on himself to keep warmth, tossed her her sweater with long sleeves and waited till she would add another layer. Elisabeth freed her braid from under the sweater and met with Hanno’s face, this time on her level. He looked at her expectantly as if asking something and she leaned on his shoulders, trying to get up. Hanno meanwhile lightly held her by the waist.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Foot was less throbbing right now and she could actually stand on it, but nevertheless Elisabeth wouldn’t be able to make a single step. She looked helplessly at Hanno, still sitting by her feet and signed to him:</span>
</p><p>
  <span> - It hurts.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Hanno raised to her level - now they were almost the same height, as Elisabeth caught up on him during her crazy growth spurt last year, -  and signed back:</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span> - Let me. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He gently and slowly grabbed her under her knees, letting her to grab his neck, like they did earlier that day. Elisabeth gratefully sighed and hid her face at his sharp collarbone. He smelled like sweat and firewood and she could hardly restrain herself from licking the collarbone right in front of her nose.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Hanno meanwhile walked out, still holding Elisabeth and looked at her. He barely saw her in the darkness but she was warm, sweetly fragranced with the bonfire and all of her limbs were in his hands. He shivered and looked around. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They found a spot with thick bushes around one of the trees, Hanno let Elisabeth stand on the ground holding onto a tree and told her that he’ll be around. Elizabeth carefully sat, trying her best not to use the damaged foot, and did what she needed to do. Then, using a tree for support, she quickly returned her pants into their default position and looked out for Hanno.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He stood three steps away, with crossed hands, back to her. She admired his powerful silhouette, but the night was cold and they really could have gone inside faster. Elisabeth picked a tiny stone from the ground and threw it in the Hanno’s back. He turned around immediately </span>
  <span>and, she could swear, the wolfish fangs of his teeth showed up for a moment. Hanno smiled rarely and abruptly and she cherished every time he did that. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He picked her up again and carried back to the cave. She saw a snippet of the smile on his lips. She could barely see in the pitched dark night but she remembered this mouth too well to forget the shape of his lips. Not thinking what she is doing, she pursed her lips into his. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Hanno froze, but did not let her go yet. He stood for a second not answering her insistent invitation to her mouth but then his lips slowly parted and their tongues met. It was just a cautious first embrace of their tongues but heat instantly rushed into Elisabeth’s face. She greedily kissed him back because he was answering. Her stomach tightened when he noisily exhaled into her mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They had to reluctantly finish their kiss because Hanno needed to reach their cave room. His footsteps echoed loudly in the cave walls. Her heart was pounding almost as loudly.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They reached their niche and entered a warmer environment. Hanno approached her bed and carefully sat with her still in his hands. He looked at her just to catch her steadfast gaze on him and this time Hanno led. He parted her lips with his tongue, this time at a slower pace, just to savour her taste. Elisabeth sighed into his lips, tightly embracing his nape. She was clearly inexperienced in the art of kissing but Hanno knew better what to do.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He moved his hand from under her knees to her hip, while supporting her head against him. He was slightly trembling in hands and his lips and tongue were hungry for her, while he was deepening their kiss. Elisabeth enthusiastically discovered that she could stick almost all of her tongue into his mouth, which she immediately did. Hanno moaned through their kiss, sucking on her tongue and making hair on her arms and legs stand up. She was ready to drown in him. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Kiss stopped as abruptly as it started. Hanno, heavily breathing, placed his forehead onto hers and, struggling to resist, left several light brief kisses on her lips again, this time just with the lips. Elisabeth was somewhere else but she too was slowly returning to reality. She pulled away from him to look in his blurred by desire eyes and signed:</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span> - It was my first kiss.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Hanno nodded, failing to say something as his mind was elsewhere. Instead he stroked her face gently with a thumb of his hand. He was bubbling and exploding inside, but it was too early to demonstrate this volcano to Elisabeth. He reluctantly took her of himself and carefully placed onto a bed. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span> - We will talk tomorrow, okay? - he replied to her, sitting by her side. She happily smiled, nodding and thanking him. Strength was leaving her though, her body was falling asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eyes were shut in a minute. Hanno tucked in a blanket around Elisabeth and found her another plaid to throw over. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Then he checked the fire one more time and crawled back to Elisabeth’s side, covering his body with another blanket. He looked at her for a long time, before sleep won over.</span>
</p>
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